New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-27
EXPLOSIVE BULLETS IN WARFARE.

During the recent session OF the International
Medical Congress two papers were reao IN Vi.
Medical Surgery Section upon the )us1inc"ao" u
international laws against the use OF eSp'osNo
bu lets in warfare, and rsolution WAS auoi 'o'
by the Section advising an international Ndeu'c.'
Congress to protest against the present methods
NJ destructive warfare The arguments USED
apainst EXPLOSIVE bullets were first, that they
wefe needlessly cruel and fatal in their acuoh'
second that they do not attain the main oore'
of warfare which Is to disable as many as poss'o"
Of the enemy 1t was shown that uiese
bullets were ant to kill more often than the
common sort, and that man killed was less OF
an embarrassment to the enemy than man
wounded. since a wounded man requires two sound
men tn take him TO the rear. 1t was not perhaps,
sufficiently brought out that In practice souhd
men are seldom detached during the heat Oh
action for such a purpose: that rs rule tne
wounded are sufere' to lie where they fai at least
until the crisis OF tho battle has passed; anu
that consequently q wounded man does not gen.
orally take out of action more strength than
man killed on the spot.
But the popularity OF the medicai pro'esO'
really is that they seem to be dlrec'eo "s'in'o
explosive bullets. which no Nauon uses or eve.
has used while they are silent on uic euDy
OF explosive bals-shclis, shrapnci eec'-""
ALI civilized nations employ freely. The question:
,horoforo arises Is there such difference between
an ex losive bullet and O she'll rs 10 ""rr"h'
approval OF the latter concidentaHy WIFI u's'P
,roval of the formerp The doctors say 'na'
the characteristics OF wounds inflicted by eAP'o'
loo hricts arr great shatte ring OF the bones at the
o,n, ~ iniurv wi iii communion OF the fragments
Tho on tissues are extensively lacerated. with
reat d.struotion of the parts; this is followed oy
extensive sloughing In many cases the reeupo'
.,iva ,overs of nature are insufficient TO bill up
GO. .,,,orsive loss OF tissues Therefore tho
,atient generally dies But do not shells produce
very much the same kind OF wounds, ana nave
they not increased the proportion OF deaths con-
sideraI Is In warfare9 An English army surgeon
present at the Medical Congress could not see 'ne
distinction, and practically observed that o""'
exploding IN the -ir. such AS shell ana shraphe'
shots were necessary TO render as many mem
of an advancing column Is possible hors uu eo"'"-
and he did not the necessity forthe reso'uuoh'
IL was explained TO him that the object was W
give the United States an opportunity 10 p''.e
lher elf In the rank OF the humane Nations but The
exI Iination does not seem 10 render the protest
! altogether reasonable or intellgble.
Where war is concerned IL at once becomes I'M
rossibl, 70 reconcil the action nccessitated with
humane theories NauOns Nn'h NV b.
| at once do their best to kill or disable as many
as possible OF their enemies. When oodies Vi
troors are brought near TO one another fiheo
cannon come into play. When the question ID
of bringing such bodies into actual collision sheh'
and shrapnel and canister are found TO be VI
order The object being TO stop or drive oacN
the enemy. whatever does it hest and quickest Is
certain 10 be adopted and that means Whatever
| will disable or kill the largest number OF men In
| the shortest space OF time When the suilerihgs
OF the wounded on the field while awaiting heip'
and in tho hospital aftcrward. are cocsiuercu'
moreover, It. seems open 20 question whether there
really is more humanity In disabling than In Kill
ing There Is not perhaps much II any ground Tor
supposing that the use Of exI losive bullets VIII
ever he seriously ad vocated. but should they ne
| proposed IL is difficult to understand now uieir
cmp,oymept could be consistently opposed by
those who regard the use Of explosive shells as
| perfectly Unsuitable. A time may come when even
| the wounding OF men In hattie will be thought
barbarous. and nations will, con6ne their efforts
to hyrnotizing or anastheticisng one another so
gently that the affected troops Will merely sleep
n few bours and wake in perfect health. we are
| however, a long way from such al
vanced methods at present. and 1t Is prooape
that for at least several generations war con-
tinue TO involve the permanent disabling or Kill
| ing OF the largest possible numbers In the most
expeditions way.